Where should I start?

Sorry to have been absent for a while, I haven't even managed to read and comment on all the blogs I follow, or find new ones to read. Life has been even more hectic than our average June, if that's even possible. I think I start each post with the words "life has been a bit busy....."!

I've written several blog posts in my head whilst driving to and from various events, pitches and around the country in general but I've not managed to find the time to write them down.

This time of year is usually very busy but we've had several unexpected happenings (some good, some not so good) which have meant there's been an extra workload for both myself and The Builder. Heaps of paperwork which I thought was all done & dusted has been returned to me with queries and the need for T's to be dotted and I's to be crossed.... or whatever! - don't you just love local councils??

Various business problems (nothing dreadful) have arisen and it seems sorting them out is in my job description - who knew; I maybe need to check my contract? Obviously I don't have a contract; or pay for that matter! It would be a little useful if I actually knew how to sort these particular problems out but there you go!

I don't really know where to start and this could be a very boring post for everyone except for me so I thought I do a little selection of photo's from the last few weeks........

I do now have a new camera, a slightly more up to date point-and-shoot than I had before as the old camera had stayed missing.

However after a month, and exactly as I typed the paragraph above Little Miss popped her head in the door to say she'd found the old camera, can you believe it? It had fallen down behind a piece of furniture along with a bit of post I'd been waiting for!

 

Anyway here we go.....

 

Little Miss graduating for the Norfolk Children's University. A council sponsored scheme open to all 5-14 year olds to recognise the work they take on outside of school hours.

A lovely ceremony held at The University of East Anglia where she (amongst many others) was presented with her certificate by Louis de Bernieres - cue tears!

 

 Little Miss also had her second gymnastics competition where she did really well, no prizes this time though.

 

There was a 14th birthday with a very chocolatey cake, with added chocolate and a little extra chocolate for good measure - well why not?

 And guess how he spent his evening? No family meal out for us....

 

The new 14 year old had 6 matches that week, and on the one day there was no game guess what he did? Went to the Oval to see England play (thank you ebay & next day delivery!) - I think he did take his bat, just in case England were 1 short!


 We had primary school sports day and did get a first - no tears, I've just about had my fill of these type of events (bah humbug!)

After the sports the children opened their café for refreshments - an event that happens occasionally. They had baked cookies in the morning and donned their waiter & waitress outfits to serve the customers. One customer arrived unexpectedly (for the children anyway), our local MP, Norman Lamb. He enjoyed a cup of tea and a cookie but didn't join the races! Little Miss and best-friend-George had the pleasure of serving him (and his press photographer!)

Little Miss and I went to The Royal Norfolk Show (1st time in about 15 years for me).

We went with best-friend-George and his Mum as George was being presented with a prize in the education tent.

The first free game we came across was the cricket - like we don't have enough of that!

 

We enjoyed a fair amount of junk food along with as many free tasters in the food tent as we could get away with (returning to some stalls in varying disguises!) 

And a couple of fair ground rides were had, just to mix up the chocolate a bit!

 

 

I had a jaunt to Nottingham with number 1 son on Friday to look around the university, not a great drive but that's what all roads out of Norfolk are like - it's to stop you escaping I think!

 He has put no effort whatsoever into researching a potential Uni, he thinks maybe he should go

"up North" - why, what are the courses like? - that he doesn't know but the beer is probably cheaper!

We will be travelling many miles it seems, over the next few months, from Sheffield to Exeter - home in between, obviously! (Unless we get lost en route which is a distinct possibility)

He liked Nottingham, the bar and common room looked good; some of the rooms had double beds too, the food was tasty - he didn't like the sound of the course though!!

(I gather that might be important?)

 

An finally today, a 100 miles done and I don't seem to have been far from home, two cricket pitches and a bit of Go Go Gorilla hunting - we know how to live!

Well worth hunting them down if you're in the city centre, they're there til mid September I believe. We found 17 of the 53 today so will go back to find more as soon as we can. There were some really super ones, we particularly liked the builder (by the information desk in the Castle Mall) who was showing a little builders bum!

And just top off the week it seems our email account has been hacked and emails have gone to all our contacts (over 450) to request money to help us get home from the Philippines as we're stranded, apparently! I have had these from other people but always ignored them. We have had several phone calls and offers of money since the emails went out - nice to know some people worried about us. As a result of the hacking all old emails and all contacts (except a random 13) were lost, BT have been very helpful and tried to restore what they can but it has been a worry;
especially for a technophobe like me!
 

I'll finish now and try to catch up with a bit of blog reading. I have to be
up early tomorrow for a day of cricket - whoopee the children said, there should be cricket from 9am til 11pm at the club tomorrow! We have two New Zealand international players coming for the day, no chance of me recognising them as I didn't recognise Alistair Cook when I met him! If they stand too near the bar I'll have to assume they're both new barmen and order my drinks.

Did I go whoop, whoop at the thought of in excess of 12 hours cricket in one day? What do you think......??

 

Our June, so far.....

First of all can I say a huge Thank You to all those who commented with helpful links and advice about my Acne Rosacea - it was very unexpected and very, very welcome. The redness has died down but the spots remain, if I turn sideways I look like woodchip wallpaper! I am trying some different cream recommended by Green Girl in Wisconsin which seems to be helping right now. But thank you again for the advice.

Anyway this time of year is our busiest with all the cricket and I've had very little time to write a post or even read everyone else's,; well I say busy and I feel like I haven't had time to stop in the past few weeks but when trawling through my 'phone for any photo's I may have taken lately (still no camera) I found these....

 

So clearly I did put my feet up one day, I just can't remember it!

 

We have had some fun though, last Friday I went with a friend to see The Rocky Horror Show, we're both fans and I think it was the 4th time I'd been. From previous shows we knew you stand out like a sore thumb if you don't dress up according to the style of the show.

It's worth the money just to spend the evening people-watching. 

My friend is never so keen to don her fishnets so my back up plan was to have a spare pair and spare wig to ensure I didn't feel a complete plonker! In the past we'd always gone in a crowd but this time it was just the two of us, neither of us could summon up the energy to phone around, collect money, chase unpaid money and buy the tickets, arrange the cars etc. There were 2 shows on the Friday, 5.30pm and 8pm; we opted for the early show just because it was so much cheaper and it meant some food could be added in after the show - big mistake, HUGE! (a la Julia Roberts/Pretty Woman)

 

We were dropped off in the vicinity of the theatre and ran across the road, glancing around and noticing that there were no other weird and wonderful outfits. A few car horns tooted much to our embarrassment! We entered the theatre and bumped straight into a crowd of elderly, blue rinse ladies enjoying an early evening coffee - their jaws fell open as we walked in! I was going a lovely shade of red by now - Rosacea aside!

 

We hastily checked the tickets as it feltlike we'd come on the wrong night! No all was correct, what we hadn't factored in was that lots of people were coming straight from work, in office clothes! We were decidedly over dressed!

That's me on the right with long red hair and my friend in a Rod Stewart wig (well it was all I had) Her husband suggested we stood next to the pond for the phot to give a nice back drop - don't think a back drop mattered in this instance!

Obviously we needed to stay away from any naked flames,

we couldn't have worn any more nylon if we'd tried!!

 

So onto the show, it was brilliant as it always is, Frank n Furter was superb but the audience of the early show was a lot more subdued than how I remember past performances. Not too many dressed up and the "heckling" came from only one or two people. We did however stay in the theatre bar for a while after the show to watch the audience arrive for the 8pm show - they were fantastic.

What sights we saw, many very dapper business men (or so they appeared) in shirts, blazers, ties along with stockings and suspenders! We did wonder how many of them had worn them all day under their suit trousers, several looked far more able to walk in high heels than us!

 

Saturday saw me being the family taxi, taking Number 2 son to school at 9am for his cricket match then home to take Number 1 son to his; husband had already left for his match elsewhere! I then got a call to say when I picked up Number 2 from school could I take him straight to husbands match as they were one short. I then had to take Little Miss to Number 1 son's match to be minded while I went to my best friends 50th birthday party. I wasn't going to miss it despite the cricket malarkey!

 I left husband directions to the party with instructions to meet me there asap - he got lost and the 20 minute journey took and hour and a half!

 I had a lovely new dress (I don't buy clothes often) but no photos to show I'm afraid; I'm sure it'll get another outing at some point - I hope so anyway.

 My camera still hasn't turned up so I've ordered a new improved one which should arrive mid week - it'll probably take me awhile to figure out how to use it though so bear with me.

 

In other new this month Number 1 son finished his AS level exams and judging by his spotty face he stressed over them quite a bit. He then went on study leave until all exams were finished and has slept for most of the 2 weeks! We've also had a meeting at his college to get all the information for University applications - scary stuff! Neither the Builder or myself went to Uni so it's all a bit of a mystery to us.  I've drawn up lists of possibilities and grades required. I've checked and written a list of all the open days and I've made notes of what courses I think he might enjoy/be any good at. What's he done you may ask, erm nothing at all!

 

I also had to join Little Miss at school on Tuesday to do The Race For Life. This was organised in the school field with one of the parents in mind who is currently recovering from breast cancer. It had drizzled all morning but just as they needed to race the sun came out and it was glorious.

The children had to run around the field 30 times and had all raised sponsorship. I had misunderstood and thought I had to compete too, so work dress, glossy tights and trainers on, off I went! I surprised myself most of all as I do no exercise at all, I went around 28 times and then decided to sit with the other parents who were watching as I was feeling a bit silly (and getting dizzy, it's not a big field)! Little Miss did 50 laps "just for fun"

 

Yesterday Little Miss and I did what appeared to be a trolley dash around the city centre as it's Father's day today and we had nothing. At this time of year all organisation and good intentions fly out of the window! We got a few things and baked him a Dundee cake. We also had to try to find something for Number 2 son's 14th birthday next Friday. He won't give us any clues as to what he'd like as he "doesn't want to spoil the surprise" Well the surprise is we have got him

a big fat NOTHING!

 

I'm busy on ebay today trying to get some cricket tickets for mid week - the treat is he'd get a day off school! We really can't think of anything else, sweets to make him more hyper than usual maybe.....

 

I will try to catch up with everyone else's news soon, have a great week!

 

Prescriptions, overdue bills and camp

There's been a flurry of cricket just lately, not surprisingly given the time of year. School matches, club matches, county matches and the first game of the season for Little Miss (she did fine despite nerves). I spend a lot of time not knowing exactly where I'm supposed to be at any given time and rely a lot on the constant email and text reminders from various people who are clearly more organised than me. There often comes a text from a fellow parent saying "shall we share lifts" or "what time will you be at the pitch"; my reply, more times than I care to admit to, is "where are we going, just remind me...." or "erm which pitch is that?" 

But my week began with a doctors appointment. I have had a spotty rash on my face for around 18 months now (teenage spots, did I hear you say? Thank you) They come and go; sometimes it's bad and sometimes it disappears but over time it has certainly got worse. Angry red spots on my cheek and nose (lovely!) Every time I thought about seeing the Doc they disappeared for a few days, as these things always do.

However I recently spent some time with a friend who I chatted to about my rash which at the time was quite visible, I was saying how it was getting me down as "I always look like I'm.... " before I could finish she jumped in with " a hardened drinker!", no I was actually going to say "sunburnt!"

I had thought I may look like a flushed, rosy cheeked farmer which I could go along with

  but a drunkard? Erm No!

 

So off to the Docs I went and after much questioning I was diagnosed with Acne Rosacea and given antibiotic cream, so hopefully soon I will be back to my young and sober self!

 

The week didn't improve when I arrived home to find a demand for an unpaid bill. Apparently some weeks ago I had some beauty treatments which I had forgotten to pay for. I rarely have treatments although if I won the lottery I would actually move into a beauty salon, or maybe a spa., I love it. In a previous life many years ago I was a beauty therapist but right now I prefer to be a customer - if only finances would allow.

 

However I vaguely recall the treatments, I thought I'd paid, if not in cash but in kind. However the threatening note says that if I don't pay within 10 days the amount will increase.....better get my cash out!

 

If I don't pay up I may never be allowed back into "The Little Miss Bedroom Salon again!

She does do an excellent foot rub!

 

And finally to round things off Number 2 son came home from school with a letter regarding a compulsory cadet camp in July. Compulsory that we pay for it too! However it costs £55 and includes all transport, accommodation, food and activities for 5 days; he can be quite a handful so we may (this I couldn't possibly confirm or deny) have been a little keen for him to go on the camp. Where do we sign we thought!

He said he'd prefer to go on the other camp - there was another camp??

He explained that although he is in the RAF section he hadn't been included on the special RAF cadet camp as the spaces were limited and he really, really wanted to go on that one. So I hurriedly sent off several late night emails pleading for number 2 son to be considered for the RAF camp - apparently they get to fly on this one (I assume with a pilot?) It seems I pleaded his case well as he came home yesterday saying he was allowed to go, despite telling me the chap in charge had mainly chosen the "good boys" - Oh dear, I'm reading a lot into that comment!

We then received a copy of the letter with details of the camp from another parent, it appears I emailed before thinking it through, and have rather shot myself in the foot - this camp is £125!! Why did I not ask the price, was it my eagerness at the thought of him going on a 5 day trip that made me forget the essential questions like which dates, where to and how much?

I do love him really but a nearly 14 year old, very bright boy who knows everything and has never, ever, been wrong in his life can make for a stressful life!

I guess the beauty salon will have to wait a little longer for my money!